Thursday 060415

AM – 5.7 miles with JV, Skurka and Roche.  I had been trying to get together with Dave for sometime and it worked out that I was able to connect this up with Jeff and Andrew as well.  Just an awesome crew – good conversation on running, life … well, if you can get a word in while heading up Green.  Just incredibly passionate and positive people …
A little debate on the trail on poles … some say they work wonders.  Others say they keep you from running and encourage you to hike.  And some say they make you a hiker anyway.  I got them in an Amazon order today and intend to start test driving them soon.  I do expect to use them. 

I had intended to do a dental cleaning and then swing back to Chautauqua after a bit of office work for a  longer effort.  But I got word from Dave Mackey that he had a window for visitation and I headed down to Denver Health to see him.

Dave talked me through the accident, the rescue, his current situation and what is projected to come up next with surgeries, rehab, etc.  It will be a tough road.  I will admit it: it is hard to see Dave like this.  Every other time I have seen him he has been a powerful athlete moving through a race, with determination and focus.  He is powerful, determined and focused still but fighting a very different battle of endurance, and probably easily argued the toughest one he has ever faced.   Still, you (and he) see that and you realize how lucky he was/is.  I don’t think you can really think about that and not be moved emotionally.  I certainly was.

So a day of inspiring people … I mean really inspiring people.  The universe speaks.

I am heading up to Laughing Valley Ranch tomorrow night for a burro run with Jack.  If interested in joining, give me a shout.

Late afternoon – 7.3 miles.  Hot. 

Evening – the Pumpkin took a nice tag.  As far as car accidents go, this is about as take as you can get.  I was at a light, making a right on red, signal on.  Someone tried to slip up around me in the bike lane (in their car) and when I made the turn … crunch.  Basically there is no turn lane for them, they tried to make one.  Bummer is that it looks to be three panels that will need to be dealt with.

Sunday 113014 – JV’s 1000th Ascent of Green.

I had the privilege of joining JV for his 1000th summit of Green Mountain this AM.  Arguably Jeff did this months ago, as he had some additional 100 summits or so before he started formally keeping track.  In any case, today was his count of the 1000th.  A small crew of us gathered to join him on his trek, and the mountaineering experience was off the charts:  Skurka, Homie, Ralston, Bruce, and then we met Tony and Joe at the top. 

I did a short jog with TZ in the AM and thought conditions would be great.  I went out with her around 8 and it was in the 50s. At 9, as I was prepping to head out, I noticed that the temp was dropping and I could see the haze coming in from the west.  It got colder still.  By the time I was leaving the house around 30, it had dropped probably 20 degrees and it would be in the 20s by the time I got to Boulder.  A haze locked in the Flatirons – but this would set up for a beautiful inversion view from the summit.

We hung at the summit for a bit taking in what Jeff has hundreds of times before, and enjoying the moment.  The inversion was pretty amazing.
We headed back down into the cloud (where it was colder too), casually and carefully as there were sections with socked in ice.  Once at the bottom I was able to entice JV into one of his favorite pre/post race treats – a bowl of cereal.  An amazing day for a great guy with an incredible crew.  I had a blast.  Thanks for sharing it Jeff!

Side note – there was a lot of chatter as to how quickly the weather turned.  I found this graphic from the local wunderground web site that reflects how quick the temps dropped.

8:45, 54 degrees.

 
9:30, 24 degrees – and still dropping.

So 30 degrees in 45 minutes.  Amazing!

I ended up with 5.6 on the day (4.6 on the Green RT), and 101 and change on the week. Largest week of the year – but again, just grabbing it while I can.   In general, I held it together fairly well, but it was a little bit of edge island.  I could feel the calf having issues in the front of the week, but it let up.  I did some squats in the middle of the week and I could feel that niggling in the right side for the rest of the week.  Green today was not too bad, but admittedly the effort was very light for these guys.    Leadville lottery opens this week and I expect to throw my name in the hat.

November was a month that I had hoped to get back at it a bit more after the travel month in October.  As it turns out, the months were nearly the same – in October I had 271.7 miles.  November I had 274.4.  34.8 hours in October, and 38.2 in November.  8 days off in October and 5 in November.  In part I think this was because while I was traveling in October, I could commit to a schedule when not working of getting runs done (when just on work travel).  In November, I had a set back at the start of the month with the calf spinning up a bit … so it took me some to work through that.

Hike up 2nd Flatiron

  Hiked with TZ, checking out this hike as a possible one for the Scouts.  It is about 5k RT, 1430 of gain, loss and took us at a very easy pace (emulating scouts, or perhaps their parents) 2:15 RT including sitting around at the top and breaks.
 

Friday 061011

JZ went to the Rox game tonight. Going into the 9th, the Rox were up 6-0. Final score, 6-5. Sheesh. And as I was watching on game cast, I wondered about this:

Long night last night, and well ... the night before too ... without good results. When the opportunity popped up, I took much needed advantage to head to the hills to clear my head. I intended to hook up JV, who I have not seen in so long that I don't recall the last time I saw him. His schedule slipped a bit so I started running around. Next thing I knew I was nearly up past the 2nd Flatiron and recalling how much I loved and hated that route.

Summited Green and headed down the backside. Knew Jeff and some AR holder were heading up but I did not want to get too far down for some silly reason, and so I started doing the Elliott stairs to kill time.

For those that don't recall, this is a fifth of a mile stretch on the back side of Green that is just a lot of big step ups. Scott E who won Pikes more times than I have run it, would do this workout to prep for the 16 Golden Stairs at the top. He'd do this 8 times, which is ... well fairly insane. I mean you are about stick a fork in me done with this section after doing it ONCE. 8 is about worthy of being committed. JV and I did this workout a few years back, and we ripped off six. I remember that coming down I wanted to walk because my legs felt like they had been sawed in half.

I think JV did that first one in 2:20 that day, but that is a different story.

Anyway, I did a few of these (with numbers in the 3s mind you) while waiting. I considered maybe I'd be back for more of this sometime this summer with fresher legs. While leaning on the four way summit post in recovery after one, I heard familiar voices in the distance. Thankful for the respite, I joined the guys.

Enjoyed good conversation and a weather day that we beg for ...

Vertical week continues, but is probably done now that the weekend is here. 13k over the last five days. Feeling good, but feeling it in a good way. 13 on the day.

Tuesday 092909

AM – doggie joggie.  4 miles, easy.  AHR 136.  Slooooow.

PM – Green with Pittbrownie, JV and Brandon.  A blogodate of sorts.  I had briefly met Pittbrownie post Pikes, but had not run with him until this session – a nice treat as he was in town.  Very impressive dude, but he has an ultrarunning problem.  Brandon looks like he is really readying up for Denver, and Jeff seems to have bounced back into his typical mountain goat form post his broken foot.  I had planned for us to go up Flag and then over to Green, but JV convinced us to go over Green via the pass between the 1st and the 2nd Flatiron (visible to some extent in the pic above).  This of course is ridiculous steep – with sections over 35% grade and crap for footing but it was fun to get out there.  The lady bugs are not as thick as they have been up there but there are still a good number.  Afterwards we took the gentler and beautiful trail down of Long Canyon.  No bear sightings … :(
7 miles.  Great run, good conversation, and thankfully the guys were merciful on me with the pace.

Video from Brandon.

Green Mountain Extreme from Brandon Fuller on Vimeo.

Tuesday 091509

• This is by far the post of the day
• Its been a month since the meltdown. Time to get over it and change the header pic.
• With the shorter days, no races clearly outlined on my horizon, the possibility that I get hit by a car in the wee hours, and long nights with the kids doing Scouts, piano practice, soccer, and sixth grade math homework – I have not been getting up in the AMs for run – instead enjoying good good sleep. The last two days TZ has had to come in and wake me (“its 7AM.”)
• Definitely a trail I need to get on more …
• Last week I posted about a variety of things, including “trying too hard” in racing – and that in fact my best results often came when I was expecting the least. I am often disgruntled to see how often this is applicable in other aspects of life (relationships, what you want your kids to do, what you want to see happen at work on a project, etc). I find that when I care about something and get passionate about it, I am often frustrated with how difficult it is to move its direction in a direction that I want it to go. This paradox of not caring to get better results is something I can “see” in my mind’s eye but a principle I struggle with on many fronts … the harder you grip, the more that escapes through your fingers.
• 10 plus miles including, Second Flatiron, Green. 3100+ elevation. It has been over three months since I have been on Green. It was wonderful to return. Started by heading up the Enchanted Mesa, then glued together a few short trails off Mesa proper over to the Second Flatiron. The climb up the Flatiron kicked my arse, as it was hot, and I had not done anything like this in a bit. Descended off the back side over to the trails up Green. Took a short break on Green to check out the lady bug swarm, then down out to Long Canyon, Gregory to complete the trip.

Dirt roads up, and single track with ferns down

Lots of Bear scat along the lower ends of the trails

The rock step ups get pretty crazy in some parts

Good views …

These stairs towards the end of the climb up Green are always tough for me.
Oh yeah, Lady Bugs …